Drowned postman 'climbed out of bed at 3am to begin his round and sleep-cycled into river'

A retired postman is feared to have been killed after setting off on his bike to complete his old delivery round while sleepwalking in the middle of the night, an inquest has heard.

John Sullivan’s body was pulled from the River Usk less than a mile away from his home in Abergavenny, south Wales, after he was reported missing by his wife, Rose.

Anyone lucky enough to still have their dad in your life, tell him how much you love him. It really hurts when you can'tPaul Sullivan

She told an inquest on Friday that the 66-year-old, who had worked as a postman for 20 years before retiring in 2014, had suffered from bouts of sleepwalking and had been found “outside the house on occasions not knowing how he had got there”.

Mrs Sullivan, 64, explained that she had woken up on February 22 around 3.20am to find her husband missing, along with his bicycle and helmet. At that point she believed Mr Sullivan, who had been having difficulty sleeping, was having “one of his episodes”.

Knowing that he had used the bicycle to complete his postal round, as well as for leisure after retiring, Mrs Sullivan travelled the route he normally took before calling the police when she could not find him.

Mr Sullivan on the right with his son Paul Sullivan and wife RoseCredit:
WALES NEWS SERVICE

She told Newport Coroner’s Court she knew Mr Sullivan, who she had been married to for 39 years, "was not dressed appropriately for a bike ride at that time of the morning" because he had left his fluorescent jacket behind.

Mr Sullivan’s bike, along with his helmet, was spotted by a dog walker on the river bank near the Llanfoist Bridge around a mile from their link-detached property in the morning.

A police officer attended the scene but called in a helicopter after he found initially no trace of Mr Sullivan. His body was pulled from the fast-flowing river between 300 and 400 yards (360 metres) downstream at around 10am.

Neighbours and friends paid tribute to the postman after his death. One wrote on Facebook: “What a kind and amazing man, so gutted.” His son, Paul, added on social media: "Anyone lucky enough to still have their dad in your life, tell him how much you love him. It really hurts when you can't."

The river in Castle Meadows, Abergavenny, where Mr Sullivan's bike and helmet were foundCredit:
WALES NEWS SERVICE

A post-mortem examination carried out by a pathologist at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny found Mr Sullivan, who was also a grandfather, died as a result of drowning.

Gwent Coroner David Bowen returned an open verdict. He said no other conclusion could be made as there was "no evidence" into just how Mr Sullivan had gone into the water. The death was never treated as suspicious.

Sleepwalking - known as somnambulism or noctambulism - is a combination of sleep and wakefulness. Its cause is not known but it can happen at any age, with some people carrying out complex tasks such as driving or cooking.

After the hearing, Paul, 31, said the family were hoping the hearing would bring "closure". Mrs Sullivan told The Telegraph she did not want to make any further comment and added that it had been a “very difficult time”.